Hello Madagascar fans!!
Yesterday, Gloria, Marty and Melman were lucky enough to visit Agra. This city is on the banks of the River Yamuna, and used to be the capital of Hindustan under the Mughal empire. Agra is famous for the Taj Mahal. Built by Shah Jahan emperor of the Mughal Empire from 1628-1658, this was a show of his never-ending love for his favourite wife Mumtaz, who passed away at the age of 40 during childbirth. Agra Fort is another famous landmark in the area. It is made from red sandstone and conceals living areas, a mosque and beautiful grounds. In fact, this was the very place that Shah Jahan first saw Mumtaz - buying jewellery.
The journey to Agra from Delhi was supposed to be around 3 hours. This was not taking into account our drivers chai and cigarette breaks!!!! The heat and steady motion of the car sent us all to sleep (bar the driver, I think). He decided to use these opportunities to wake us up by using the car horn on an empty road!!!
First we saw the beautiful Taj Mahal - unfortunately we had to go in under the pretence of being Priya, Ricky and Amar and had to ditch our Madagascar persona's. There were floods of Indians and Foreigners visiting the monument. And when we entered, we could see why. It was magical and serene. There are some places in the world that have such a beautiful atmosphere. As our guide told us the love story behind the monument, I could almost see it in my head. Mumtaz was not only a beauty and the diamond of Shah Jahan's eye, never leaving his side - but, she was also his advisor. There are many scripts that show that she was extremely knowledgeable and advised Shah Jahan on many political matters that were brought to his attention. I felt that this monument ... this beautiful building with exquisite architecture and design, as an expression of love for his wife, was a reminder. A reminder of the power of love.
We then explored Agra Fort ... first posing for a Madagascar-themed photo. This attracted a LOT of attention. Within 2 minutes, we were surrounded by a huge crowd of locals - trying to take photos and laughing at the absurdity!!!! But Gloria, Marty and Melman stood proud ... roasting in the 42 degree heat, but still proud. Having caused a ruccus at the entrance of the fort, we ventured on inside. We saw the place where Mumtaz and Shah Jahan first met ... where Shah Jahan was held prisoner in his later life, and where he passed away. The fort and its uses, reminded me of Jodha Akbar - scenes where the King is asked for advice etc etc
Hope you enjoy the pics :)
Much love,
Gloria, Marty and Melman xxx
Through the ages India has had a few rulers to thank for its unity. The Mauryan king Ashoka, The Mughal king Akbar and the British Raaj. The British may have 'divided' India but did leave it as a large united nation.
ReplyDeleteAll these great kingdoms learnt one thing from the Hindus, Budhists and Jains-love, peace, non-violence and spirituality.
The Mauryan Hindus stopped warmongering and learnt non-violence through love.
The Muslim Mughals learnt how to stop massacring people and learnt creative things through love. They became rather democratic and just rulers.
The British learnt how to give up the lust to build a huge empire and give independence to the colonies through the resilience of peace and Ahimsa.
All have left their legacies. Both the Taj Mahal and us, are part of the legacy.